Chapter 12

Why did this keep happening?

Raelyn had stopped in the middle of the street when the windshield shattered and a car behind her slammed into the rear bumper of the Jeep. Not too hard, as they hadn't been going very fast. The driver laid on the horn, but she ignored it. She fumbled for her phone, even though she felt certain there were plenty of onlookers who were calling in the sound of gunfire. The morning commute was busy, tons of people around, which made it unusual that anyone would try to take them out here.

Unless the goal was to get them out of their vehicle and into the open?

"We're staying in the Jeep with our heads down," she told Isaiah as she pushed the 911 buttons on her phone. When the dispatcher answered, she gave the approximate location of their damaged vehicle. The dispatcher wanted her to stay on the line, but she disconnected, knowing they may not have a choice but to go on the move.

"The traffic will slow the response," Isaiah noted.

"But they're close too. Plenty of deputies near the courthouse." She knew the sheriff's deputies who are responsible for the security of the courthouse would not hesitate to respond to the gunfire. "We'll be safe."

"You think so?" Doubt laced his tone. "I'm not sure about that."

To be honest, she wasn't sure either. She tilted her head enough to meet his gaze. "God is watching over us."

He managed a smile. "True. I'll keep praying."

She nodded, listening intently. Then a deputy came up to bang on her driver's side window. She lifted her head enough to see the friendly face of Mike Callahan. "Mike?"

"Raelyn, unlock the door."

She hit the button on the handle, and he wrenched the door open. "Are you both okay?" His concerned gaze raked over her and Isaiah.

"I think so." She reached up to touch her cheek, belatedly realizing she was cut and bleeding. "Minor injuries don't count."

Mike nodded in agreement. He knew as well as she did that this situation could have been much worse. "Let's get you both out of here." He jerked his thumb. "My squad is only ten yards from here."

Looking past his shoulder, she could see his clearly marked sheriff's department vehicle. She slid out of her side as Mike ran around to Isaiah's passenger door. As a group, they lightly ran back to the squad. She felt a little guilty making Isaiah sit in the back caged-in area, but she was armed and needed to be up front in case the attacker tried again.

"I'll have to call for a tow truck for the Jeep," Mike said. "And get someone out here to direct traffic."

"I understand. The Jeep is an undercover vehicle for our precinct." She winced. "Which reminds me, I'm supposed to be having a meeting with the assistant chief in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay, you should probably let Rhy know you'll be late." Mike seemed to understand things were not going well. Of course, the gunfire that shattered the windshield was another big clue. "Let him know I'll get you down there as soon as I have additional backup."

"We need to get a first aid kit," Isaiah said. "Those cuts on Raelyn's face need tending."

"I'm fine." She wasn't worried about some shallow cuts. She turned in her seat to face him. "That bullet was meant for you, Isaiah."

Mike Callahan's eyebrow hiked up. "Oh yeah?"

"Mike, this is Pastor Isaiah Washington. He's been targeted by a gunman multiple times over the past few days." She made the quick introductions. "Isaiah, this is Deputy Mike Callahan. He's Rhy's cousin."

"Nice to meet you," Isaiah murmured. "Although I'm sorry it had to be like this."

"Me too. What church?" Mike looked interested, and she remembered the Callahans were believers like the Finnegans. Must be a family thing. Which would explain her lack of knowledge about God and Jesus. Her mother had never crossed a church threshold from what she remembered.

"The New Hope Church," Isaiah answered. "I'm sure you've never heard of it. It's relatively new and located on the north side."

"That's a rough area," Mike said with a nod. "Good for you opening a church there. I think I'll bring my wife, Shayla, and our two kids sometime."

Isaiah's eyes widened in concern. "Oh, that's not necessary. As you said, it's a rough area. I don't expect you to expose your family to danger."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Mike said, waving away his concern. "Although we'll need to figure out who has targeted you first."

"I couldn't agree more about the need to get to the bottom of these attacks." She scowled darkly. "I wasn't expecting this to happen. We spent the night at the City Central Hotel, and everything was fine, until this."

"Any idea how you were identified?" Mike asked.

"The Jeep," she answered without hesitation. The person who'd killed Donte Wicks must have seen their vehicle. Although how that same person had managed to track them here was a mystery. It was difficult to believe that anyone from the drug-running business had the ability to track a car through the DMV.

But there were other ways to do that. She abruptly straightened. "We need to check for a GPS tracker on the Jeep."

"I'll make sure we search for one," Mike assured her. "But you can't go out there now. Not while the gunman is still on the loose."

"Okay." She had to be satisfied with that. And who was the gunman anyway? Hugo Morrison had likely been the original assailant, but who had taken over for him? Was it Reggie, Tiger's brother? Or someone else?

Mike's radio crackled. She could see additional squads converging on the area. Mike glanced at her. "Sit tight. I'll be back in a minute."

She nodded, swallowing a knot of apprehension. She texted Rhy a brief message about the gunfire delaying their arrival, then scanned the area, noting there were at least a dozen cops milling about. The shooter would have to be crazy to try again.

But for all she knew, the guy was a little crazy. Or desperate. Or something.

"I'm sorry," Isaiah said softly. "I hate knowing you're putting your life and your career on the line for me."

She turned to look at him. "I put my life on the line for the public every day, so there's no reason to apologize. And I'm the one who broke the rules. I will take full responsibility for my actions."

"You're an amazing woman."

She tried not to blush. "I'm not. I'm just a cop." It seemed Isaiah wanted to see the best in her, but she knew she was far from perfect.

"You are," Isaiah repeated. "And God knows our sins and still cares for us."

That gave her pause. She hadn't really thought about it that way. But then Mike jogged back to the squad, opening the door and sliding in behind the wheel. "You were right, Raelyn. There was a GPS tracker on the Jeep. The lab is going to process it for prints."

"Thanks." She wanted to smack herself for being so careless. If Isaiah had been hit by one of those bullets, she would never have been able to forgive herself.

Mike pulled away from the curb, his cherry-red lights flashing to encourage cars to move over to give them room. Rhy had responded to her text, asking if anyone was hurt. She sent a quick response, assuring him they were fine and on their way with Mike Callahan.

As if being shot at wasn't stressful enough, she now had to face Assistant Chief Michaels. The guy scared her, and frankly, she'd rather be out on the street with nothing but her small backup weapon than have this meeting.

Not that she had a choice.

"This is all related to the initial shooting incident outside the church?" Mike asked.

"Yes." She glanced back at Isaiah for a moment, then added, "The first attempt on Isaiah was when he was standing outside his church. From there, the attacks have escalated to the point it's clear someone wants to kill him."

"I can't imagine who would have a grudge against a church pastor," Mike said with exasperation.

"I wasn't always a pastor," Isaiah said. "I was once a criminal too. But that was ten years ago. Our current theory is that the Chief, the guy in charge of the drug running in the city, has hired several people to come after me. Maybe because he thinks I know who he is, which I don't."

"I see." Mike frowned, then glanced at her. "You know we're here if you need us. Rhy's teammates are like family."

"I know, thanks." That wasn't as easy as Mike made it sound. Rhy was her boss, and the Finnegans and Callahans were family. Real family, by blood and DNA. Rhy was a great boss and cared about his team.

But going over Rhy to get help from his cousins sounded like a good way to get fired. If the assistant chief wasn't about to do that, already.

Mike pulled up in front of the precinct. She slid out and opened Isaiah's door. "Thanks, Mike. Will you keep me updated if prints are found on the GPS device?"

"Of course. You'll be the first to know." Mike lifted a hand. "Take care, Raelyn. Nice to meet you, Isaiah. Stay safe out there."

"We will." She shut the car door and led the way inside. Isaiah was unusually quiet behind her, sensing her anxiety. She had to admit Isaiah picked up on her moods far better than any man ever had.

Was that good or bad? She wasn't sure.

Rhy was waiting for them. He scowled when he saw her. "You said you weren't hurt."

"I'm not." Then she remembered the blood on her face. "It's not serious, do I have a minute to wash up?"

"Go ahead," Rhy agreed. "I'll let Michaels know you're here."

Her stomach knotted, but she made quick use of the time. She washed away the blood she'd accidentally smeared across her face. The cut wasn't deep, so she didn't think she'd need stitches.

She drew in a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Panic wouldn't help. She'd been in the army and a cop; this was all she knew. But there were likely other options out there. Security, right? She seemed to remember Trinity Medical Center hired security guards to patrol the campus.

For a moment, the thought of her burned home and the possible loss of her job nearly sent her to her knees. With an effort, she straightened her spine, schooled her features, and left the restroom. She followed Rhy to the assistant chief's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Michaels called.

Rhy offered a reassuring smile before turning away. Maybe it was intended to give her hope. She opened the door and stepped inside. She executed a quick salute, then stood at attention.

"At ease," Michaels said. "I heard about the fire at your home and these recent attacks. How are you holding up?"

"Fine, sir." She tried not to show her confusion. If he intended to kick her to the curb, he was taking the scenic route. "I have insurance to cover the fire, and I'm not hurt. The target of these attacks is Pastor Isaiah Washington. Thankfully, he has not been injured either." Yet, she silently added.

Chief Michaels steepled his hands together. "I support and applaud your efforts to keep Washington safe. I wanted you to know that I've been contacted by Captain Sanchez of the third district. They're concerned you're running undercover operations in their district without keeping them informed."

So that's what this is about. That jerk Stern had gone up the chain of his command. She should have known. She gave a tight nod. "To be clear, I didn't execute an undercover operation in their district, but I did go there several times with Isa—er—Pastor Washington to find and interview suspects. These are people within his community and who are more likely to open up to him as he is one of their own. Unfortunately, those seemingly innocent attempts resulted in dire consequences. Including the recent murder of Donte Wicks, a former drug dealer in the area." She hesitated, then added, "I'm truly sorry that Captain Sanchez is upset. I did not intentionally leave them out of the loop."

"Captain Sanchez seems to think you should work with Officer Stern moving forward," Michaels said.

No!Her heart thudded painfully. That would be akin to working with a porcupine. "Sir, Officer Stern is taking the loss of his colleague Dillon Colbert, who was killed the night of the shooting, very hard. I'm not entirely sure he can be objective when it comes to this case."

"Yes, which is why I informed Captain Sanchez that we should bring a neutral party into the mix. After discussing this at length with Finnegan, I've asked for assistance from Officer Reed Carmichael out of the fifth district. That district butts up against the third, and they often share resources." Michael's eyes crinkled in a rare smile. "I know you and Reed will be able to work together on this."

"Me?" Her voice was a squeak. "Sir, I would love nothing more, but I'm on administrative leave..."

"Not anymore. Get suited up in your uniform. I know that you and Reed—with some input from Pastor Washington—will figure this thing out."

She felt her jaw drop but did her best not to show it. "Thank you, sir."

"Dismissed."

She didn't have to be told twice. She executed another crisp salute, then turned and left the office. After closing the door, she leaned against the wall for a moment to pull herself together.

Rhy had gone to bat for her. She knew full well Michaels leaned on Rhy when it came to operational issues.

This was what it felt like to have a real family. Even if they weren't connected by blood or DNA.

They were still family. And she was blessed to have them at her back.

Isaiah sat in a chair,his head bowed, and his hands clasped between his knees, praying that Raelyn would not lose her job because of him.

Please, Lord, she does so much good for the community, she doesn't deserve this.

"Isaiah?" He glanced up at Rhy's voice. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think it's fair for Raelyn to lose her job because she's helping me." He swallowed hard. "I'm the one that wanted to talk to Donte Wicks. He was my drug-dealer contact ten years ago, and I thought I could convince him to cooperate. This is my fault, not hers."

"Try not to worry, she's fine." Rhy clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I would warn her if the situation was that dire."

"You would?" He rose to his feet. "That's nice to hear."

Rhy flashed a smile. "I value every single member of my team. I would never hang one of them out to dry."

"I'm glad." He glanced over as Raelyn approached. She was smiling, too, and the heavy boulder of guilt rolled off his chest. "What happened?"

"The assistant chief seems to think we should partner with Reed Carmichael to continue working the case." She arched a brow at Rhy. "You could have warned me. I walked into that meeting expecting the worst."

"I would have, except you were running late, and Michaels has another meeting with the mayor's office very soon." Rhy glanced down at his watch, and added, "He's probably leaving now."

"Reed Carmichael?" The name sounded familiar, but Isaiah couldn't place it. "Do I know him?"

"He's a cop within the third district police station, they help cover the third district," Raelyn said with a wry smile. "You met him the day we were in my squad heading to your church when we were hit by gunfire, remember? He's Rhy's brother-in-law, too."

He nodded, remembering the incident.

"Figured I'd keep it in the family," Rhy joked. Then his gaze sobered. "I know the third district isn't happy with you, but working with Reed with approval from Sanchez will smooth things over. And this latest attempt against you and Isaiah took place outside both of those districts, which makes this a broader issue now for everyone within the police department. I'm glad you've been cleared to return to full duty. I'll issue you a replacement weapon until yours has been returned."

"Thanks, Rhy. I'm happy about this too. I need to change." Raelyn hurried toward the woman's locker room.

Isaiah didn't share her elation at being returned to full duty. Sure, he was relieved she still had her job, but he hadn't anticipated that she'd be heading back out into the line of fire.

"Hey, don't worry." Rhy must have sensed his dismay. "Raelyn is good at her job. And she'll have more support from Reed on this, which should help. The rest of our team is also available if needed."

"That is good news, thanks for that." He eyed Rhy curiously. "How many siblings do you have anyway?"

"Eight, and I'm the oldest of the group. We lost our parents eleven years ago yet managed to stick together as a family. The good news is that we're all happily married and living our best lives. We've also started the next generation of Finnegans." Rhy's grin lit up his face. "It's been amazing. Although, the path here wasn't an easy one. We've had our difficulties along the way, not unlike what you're experiencing now, but we have been truly blessed by God."

He didn't know of any large families that hadn't been broken up by divorce, death, or prison. For a moment, his mother's exhausted features flashed in his mind. She'd done her best; he was the one who'd failed her. "That sounds wonderful."

"It is. And you should know that we're here for you, Isaiah." Rhy's brown eyes were intense. "I know you're a man of faith. I admire your dedication to your church, especially within a difficult environment. We'll get this guy, whoever he is."

"Thank you." He did have faith in God and in Rhy's team. Yet he couldn't relax, as his biggest concern was for Raelyn. He had hoped she'd be kept on administrative leave long enough for the third district to find this guy.

But as Rhy had mentioned, this was a broader issue now. No matter where he went, he would be targeted. Which made him think it would be better to find a spot to stay that was closer to his home and the church.

The church. Of course. Why hadn't he considered the possibility sooner? He was the one the Chief wanted. This was all about him and whatever the Chief thought he had done or would do at some point in the future.

What better way to put an end to this once and for all?

"You need to use me to draw this shooter into the open," he said as Raelyn walked up, dressed in her full uniform. "Set me up in the church and have cops hidden nearby to grab him before he can hurt anyone else."

"No way," Raelyn said. "We don't use civilians as bait for murderers."

"Hold on a minute, that might work," Rhy said thoughtfully.

"What?" Raelyn spun around to face him. "You never agree to putting innocent civilians in the line of fire."

"That's true, I normally wouldn't, but this is different. Isaiah is involved in this, likely from his past in dealing drugs. I think it's an idea worth investigating."

"Good. Because I am the one at risk here, regardless of whether you set me up in the church or hide me in some safe house." He turned to meet Raelyn's angry gaze. "If you would stop and think it through, you'd know I'm right. Look what happened mere blocks from the courthouse? Think about how many innocent lives could have been taken if the shooter had missed us and struck a nearby pedestrian? Or another car? Maybe one with children inside? We must end this, Rae. The sooner the better."

A flash of pure agony darkened her expression, but then she tore her gaze from his to look at Rhy. "I'm on record as opposing this but obviously will follow through with whatever you decide."

Rhy nodded. "Thank you. I need to discuss the details with Joe. We won't do this without a good plan in place to keep everyone safe."

"Well, that's something," Raelyn muttered.

"Give me a few minutes. Help yourself to some of our really bad coffee." Rhy turned and walked away.

There was a long tense silence before Raelyn gestured to a small room off to the side of the main desk area. "This way."

He followed her into the tiny kitchenette. She poured two cups of coffee, handing him one before dropping into a chair. "This is a bad idea."

"I don't see an alternative." He took the seat next to her. The space was so small their knees bumped. "Raelyn, I worry about you getting hurt every moment you're protecting me. I know you're concerned about my safety too, but we'll never know who is responsible unless we do something drastic."

"Set you up to be killed?" She glared at him over the rim of her cup. "Yeah, I'd say that's drastic. And should be completely out of the question, no matter what Rhy and Joe say."

"What else can we do? Sit in another hotel and wait for something to happen?" He took a sip of the coffee that was at least three hours old, then set the cup aside. He reached for her hand, cupping it gently in his. "I need to get my life back and so do you. We've tried hiding out, and that hasn't exactly worked for us." He managed a smile. "Don't try to pretend you love sitting around watching me go through mug shots."

"I don't, that's true. But Hugo Morrison might tell us what we need to know," she insisted. "We could at least wait that long."

"And what if he doesn't cooperate?" He was pretty sure Hugo would rather go to jail than risk squealing on the Chief. Why else had he taken a shot at Raelyn when he could have surrendered? "Consider how Donte Wicks was killed to prevent him from talking. Don't you think Hugo knows what the Chief is capable of? There's no reason for him to work with us. Not if he values his own life."

She fell silent, staring down at their joined hands. Hopefully, she'd realize this was their best option.

Finally, she raised her gaze to meet his. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Isaiah."

His heart swelled with hope. He lifted her hand and kissed it. "I don't want anything to happen to you either, Raelyn. I care about you." He didn't add that if one of them had to die to put an end to this, he prayed that he would be the one to go.

Not her.